Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOOKHABT BIBB, OF MADISON STATION, ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,762, dated January18, 1881.

Application filed November 10, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concernBe it known that I, LOCKHART 131313, of Madison Station, in the countyof Madison and State of Alabama, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement in car-couplings relates to that class known asautomatic couplings and the invention consists, essentially, in thecombination, in a car-coupling, of a springheld drop-catch, acoupling-link provided with dogs or hooks at its ends, and a safety-pin,the functionof which will be hereinafter described. I

In'this myinvention Ihave provided the draw-head with a drop-catch ordoor which islet into a recess made for its reception, the saiddrop-catch being hinged to the drawhead by means of a pin enteredthrough an elongated slot made in it, this elongation of the slotgreatly reducing strain upon the said pm. At the rear of the pivot uponwhich the drop-catch swingsl have provided a spring to actupon and keepthe said drop-catch normally pressed down sufficiently to engage andhold the coupling-link after it has been inserted. r I

A novel and highly important feature of my invention is the provision ofa safety-pin, which is herein shown as a common couplingpin, insertedbetween the nose of the automatic catch and the draw-bar through thecoupling-link. This pin, besides efl'ectually acting as a wedge toprevent accidental raising of the drop-catch, either from strain of thelink upon its hook or by jar, also serves as a safety-pin to hold thelink in case the hook of the automatic catch should become broken. Achain or similar device will be attached to the top of the automaticcatch, and be extended to a convenient place to be operated to liftthe'link-catch.

Figure 1 represents, in top view, a set of carcouplings provided with myimprovements, the right-hand draw-bar showing a modified form ofcatch,-the safety-pin being omitted. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 onthe dotted line a; so, the said figure showing'a chain-connection forthe drop-catch; and Fig. 3 is a top view of the coupling-link.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The draw-bar A, of suitable size and shape, is provided with an opening,a, at its top, in which is placed a drop-catch, B, of a shape to fit thesaid opening, said catch being hinged or pivoted to the draw-bar at I),by means of a pin entered through an elongated slot, 0, in an ear, 0!,and provided with a bevel-faced dog, e, to engage a correspondinglybevel-faced dog, f, of the coupling-link g.

In a chamber at the rear of the pivotal point of catch B is placed aspring, h, (herein shown as a spiral spring,) which acts upon the rearend, i, of the said catch, and presses its forward end down far enoughto engage and hold the link after it has passed the dog 6. It is obviousthat other than spiral springs might be used with equally good results.

Between the forward end or nose of the catch B and. the draw-bar, andthrough the link g, is entered a pin, j, (herein denominated thesafety-pin,) which acts as a wedge to prevent upward motion of thecatch, said pin also serving as an auxiliary holding device to preventuncoupling in case dog e should break. In the operation of coupling (thepinj being drawn out) the bevel-faced dog of link 9, as it enters thebumper, will strike the bevelface of dog 6 and lift the catch highenough to pass under, when the catch B, by its weight and the stress ofspring h, immediately falls and engages the link, after which thesafetypinj is put into place.

The catch B is herein shown as lifted by a chain, It.

The elongated slot 0 reduces binding strain upon the pin upon which thecatch B swings.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent In a car-coupling, the combination of thepivoted drop-catch B, the hooked couplinglink g, and the'safety pin j infront of said drop-catch and extending through the coupling-link, allsubstantially as described.

LOOKHART BIBB.

Witnesses T. B. HoPKINs, J. R. MARTIN.

